title: Neighborhood environment and physical activity among older adults: do the relationships differ by driving status?
abstract: Some attributes of neighborhood environments are associated with physical activity among older adults. This study examined whether the associations were moderated by driving status. Older adults from neighborhoods differing in walkability and income completed written surveys and wore accelerometers (N = 880, mean age = 75 years, 56% women). Neighborhood environments were measured by geographic information systems and validated questionnaires. Driving status was defined on the basis of a driver's license, car ownership, and feeling comfortable to drive. Outcome variables included accelerometer-based physical activity and self-reported transport and leisure walking. Multilevel generalized linear regression was used. There was no significant Neighborhood Attribute × Driving Status interaction with objective physical activity or reported transport walking. For leisure walking, almost all environmental attributes were positive and significant among driving older adults but not among nondriving older adults (five significant interactions at p < .05). The findings suggest that driving status is likely to moderate the association between neighborhood environments and older adults' leisure walking.
authors.affiliation: Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sallis
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Lawrence D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Saelens
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Terry L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.forename: Kelli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.forename: Melbourne F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hovell
authors.forename: C Richard
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hofstetter
authors.forename: Abby C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification*; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000145:classification*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking